Quick connector coupling with verification tab

Abstract

A female connector member adapted to be quickly coupled with a male connector member, the female connector member comprising: a connector body having a fluid passage and an opening for receiving the male connector member; a slot defined in a wall of the female connector member; and a verification protrusion received in the groove and slidably movable within the groove in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction in which the male connector is insertable, where the verification protrusion has an edge portion contoured to: when the verification protrusion is engaged by the protruding feature of the male connector member, the verification protrusion is configured to be movable in a sliding manner within the groove in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; the verification projection is moved laterally from a first position where the indicia on the verification projection are hidden to a second position where the indicia are exposed in a visible manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to quick connector couplings that provide a fluid-tight connection in pipe and tubing fluid conduit systems, and more particularly to quick connector couplings having a verification tab that provides a visual indication that a fluid-tight connection has been made. Background Art

[0002] It has been recognized that there is a need to verify that a quick connector assembly, which typically includes a female connector and a male connector secured together by a retainer, is properly assembled to prevent leakage. Previous attempts to provide such verification have involved the use of a verification protrusion that is slidably displaceable along a coupling axis and includes a locking element that is engageable with a retaining element of a retaining ring. Another previous attempt to provide verification of proper assembly of a quick connector assembly has been to use a cover that is pivotally attached to the housing so that: prior to assembly, the cover conceals a verification mark; and when the connector members are fastened together, the cover pivots relative to the housing to reveal the mark. In order to facilitate pivoting of the cover, the cover must be provided with a hinge and a biasing member, and the female quick connector member must be provided with an opening for the hinge.

[0003] It would be desirable to provide verification of a secure assembly of male and female connectors using fewer and simpler components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The disclosed female quick connector member provides visual verification of a secure connection with a mating male quick connector member using a simple, reliable design and as few as a single additional component.

[0005] The female quick connector component includes a connector body that defines a fluid passage and a female coupling end portion that is adapted to receive the male quick connector component and form a fluid-tight connection with the male quick connector component. The female coupling end portion has an opening for receiving the male coupling component. A groove is defined in the wall of the female coupling end portion for receiving and laterally deploying the verification convex portion. The groove is configured to allow the verification convex portion to slide from a first position to a second position in a transverse direction perpendicular to the axial direction (i.e., the direction along which the male coupling component is inserted into the opening). In the first position, the verification convex portion is fully hidden to prevent the marking on the verification convex portion from being read. In the second position, the verification convex portion is visually displayed to allow the marking on the verification convex portion to be read and confirm the fluid-tight connection between the connector components. The verification convex portion has an edge portion that is closest to the opening of the female coupling end portion, and the edge portion is contoured to allow the verification convex portion to move laterally from the first position to the second position when the verification convex portion is engaged by the protruding feature of the male coupling component.

[0006] In some embodiments, the female connector body has an axial groove that is suitable for receiving a protrusion on the male connecting member and guiding the protrusion on the male connecting member in an axial direction to prevent the male connecting member from rotating relative to the female connecting member, and at the same time, the protrusion engages with the contoured edge portion of the verification protrusion to move the verification protrusion from the first position to the second position.

[0007] The axial groove of the connector body may have a channel shape suitable for receiving the protrusion having a right prism shape.

[0008] In other embodiments, the male connector body may include a protruding feature that engages the contoured edge of the verification protrusion without inhibiting rotation of the respective components relative to each other. For example, the protruding feature may be a circumferential ridge or an enlarged frusto-conical surface.

[0009] In some aspects, the contoured edge of the witness protrusion is a straight edge that is angled relative to an axial direction, wherein the angle between the axial direction and the straight edge is approximately 15 degrees to 60 degrees.

[0010] The verification protrusion of any of the embodiments or aspects may include a marking on an exposed surface of the verification protrusion when the connector components are fluid-tightly connected. Such marking may include a word, symbol, or code (including color coding), such as a QR code / data matrix or bar code. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1is a perspective view of a quick connector assembly including a female connector member and a male connector member before being joined together.

[0012] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of an assembly of wherein the male member is partially inserted into the female member so that the protrusion on the male member begins to contact the slidable verification protrusion.

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A perspective view of the assembly with the male member fully inserted and the slidable verification protrusion exposed.

[0014] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a quick connector assembly including a female connector member and a male connector member prior to being joined together.

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of an assembly of wherein the male member is partially inserted into the female member so that the protrusion on the male member begins to contact the slidable verification protrusion.

[0016] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 and Figure 5 A perspective view of the assembly with the male member fully inserted and the slidable verification protrusion exposed.

[0017] Figure 7 yes Figures 4 to 6 A simplified perspective view of an assembly showing the engagement of the circumferential ridge of the male connector member with the contoured edge portion of the verification protrusion.

[0018] Figure 8 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of a quick connector assembly including a female connector member and a male connector member before being joined together.

[0019] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A perspective view of an assembly of wherein the male member is partially inserted into the female member so that the protrusion on the male member begins to contact the slidable verification protrusion.

[0020] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 and Figure 9 A perspective view of the assembly with the male member fully inserted and the slidable verification protrusion exposed.

[0021] Figure 11 yes Figures 8 to 10A simplified perspective view of an assembly showing the engagement of the enlarged frusto-conical surface of the male connector member with the contoured edge portion of the verification protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] exist Figure 1 , a quick connector assembly 10 is shown comprising a female connector member 12 and a male connector member 14 before being joined together. Member 12 may be provided with a retaining groove 16 to allow a retaining clip 17 to engage with a retaining groove 18 on an opposite side of member 14 when in the assembled state. Retaining clip 17 may be plastic or metal.

[0023] Figure 2 Component 12 is shown in profile to illustrate the position of a movable verification protrusion 20 along a slot 21 defined by component 12. For example, slot 21 may be defined by a groove and / or wall of component 12. A raised portion 22 may be provided on male connector component 14 for engaging with and deploying verification protrusion 20 when component 14 is inserted into female connector component 12. Raised portion 22 is capable of sliding along a channel-shaped groove 24, which captures the right prism-shaped raised portion 22, thereby preventing rotation of component 14 relative to component 12 during insertion of component 14 into component 12. Other shapes for raised portion 22 and groove 24 may be used. In other embodiments, other protruding features of the male connector component, such as ridges or enlarged portions, may be used, with or without one or more channel-shaped grooves and one or more anti-rotation features. When the member 14 is pressed toward the member 12, the surface of the protrusion 22 engages the contoured edge portion 26 of the verification protrusion 20 and causes the protrusion 20 to move from the member 12 along the groove defined by the member 12. Figure 2 The hidden position shown is slid to a position where the indicia display area 28 of the male portion 20 is visually displayed to provide verification of a proper connection between the components 12 and 14. During assembly, the raised portion 22 interacts with the edge portion 26 of the male portion 20 to translate axial movement of the component 14 relative to the component 12 into lateral movement of the male portion 20 in a direction perpendicular to the axial movement of the component 14, thereby allowing viewing of the indicia display area 28. When the component 14 is fully inserted into the component 12, the indicia display area 28 is fully exposed along with any logo or markings disposed therein.

[0024] exist Figures 4 to 7 In the alternative embodiment shown in , the groove 24 of the member 12 and the raised portion 22 of the member 14 may be omitted, and instead the member 14 may have a protruding feature such as a circumferential ridge 30 that engages the edge 26 of the verification protrusion 20 .

[0025] exist Figures 8 to 11 In another alternative embodiment shown in , the groove 24 and the raised portion 22 may be omitted and, instead, the member 14 has an enlarged portion 35 , such as a frusto-conical portion capable of engaging with the edge portion 26 of the raised portion 20 .

[0026] The contoured edge 26 of the verification protrusion 20 that engages with a protruding feature of the male connector component 14, such as the protrusion 22, ridge 30, or enlarged portion 35, can be straight or curved (e.g., parabolic, hyperbolic, sinusoidal, etc.). A straight edge 26 is currently preferred because it is believed to be the easiest to manufacture. Preferably, the straight edge 26 is oriented at an acute angle relative to the axial direction in which the component 14 is inserted into the component 12, with an acceptable angle being approximately 15 to 60 degrees, or 40 to 50 degrees (e.g., approximately 45 degrees).

[0027] The indicia display area 28 of the raised portion 120 may be provided with indicia, such as a machine-readable code (e.g., a barcode or QR code) that may be applied using various techniques, such as printing, laser etching, painting, engraving, embossing, molding, etc. The indicia may also or alternatively include words, letters, numbers, or symbols that are readable by a human.

[0028] The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims and their full scope of equivalents. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the art, and that the disclosed devices, kits, and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A female connector component, comprising: a connector body defining a fluid passageway and having an opening adapted to receive and connectably engage a male connector member; a slot defined in said connector body; as well as A verification protrusion is received in the groove and can slide in the groove along a transverse direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the male connector can be inserted along the axial direction, the verification protrusion has an edge portion, and the edge portion is contoured so that when the edge portion is engaged by the protruding feature of the male connector component during the insertion of the male connector component into the opening, the verification protrusion is laterally moved from a first position in which the verification protrusion is hidden to a second position in which the verification protrusion is visibly exposed, thereby enabling verification of the effective connection of the quick-connect coupling component.

2. The quick connector component according to claim 1, wherein The connector body has a groove at an inner surface of a wall of the connector body, the groove being adapted to receive and guide a protrusion protruding from the male connector member to prevent the male connector member from rotating relative to the connector body during connection.

3. The quick connector component according to claim 2, wherein: The groove has a channel shape to receive the protrusion having a right prism shape.

4. The quick connector component according to claim 1, wherein The connector body is adapted to allow the verification projection to engage a circumferential ridge located on the male connector member.

5. The quick connector component according to claim 1, wherein The contoured edge portion of the verification protrusion is straight, and the contoured edge portion of the verification protrusion is acutely angled relative to the axial direction.

6. The quick connector component according to claim 5, wherein: The straight edge portion of the verification protrusion forms an angle of 15 to 60 degrees with respect to the axial direction.

7. The quick connector member according to claim 5, wherein: The straight edge portion of the verification protrusion forms an angle of 40 to 50 degrees with respect to the axial direction.

8. The quick connector component of claim 1, further comprising a mark on a surface of the verification protrusion, the mark being visually displayed when the female quick connector component is effectively coupled with the male quick connector component.

9. The quick connector component according to claim 8, wherein: The marking is a machine-readable code.

10. The quick connector member according to claim 8, wherein The indicia includes words, numbers and / or symbols that can be read by a human.

11. The quick connector member according to claim 9, wherein: The machine-readable code is a QR code or a barcode.

12. The quick connector member according to claim 1, wherein The connector body is adapted to allow the verification projection to engage with the frusto-conical portion of the male connector member.

13. A quick connect assembly comprising the female connector member according to claim 2 and a male connector member having a protruding boss engageable with the groove.

14. A quick connect assembly comprising the female connector member of claim 4 and comprising a male connector member having a circumferential ridge for engagement with the verification projection.

15. A quick connect assembly comprising a female connector member according to claim 14 and comprising a male connector member having an enlarged frustoconical portion engaging with the verification projection.

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